Fake emails on the rise, warns Telstra

Billions of hoax emails are sent every year around the world with Australians inevitably getting targeted according to Telstra.

The telco is warning customers about a new batch of fake emails designed to look like legitimate communications from Telstra asking for sensitive or personal information

Telstra's officer of Internet trust and safety, Darren Kane, said the company has received several reports from customers about emails which, in some cases, requested customers to enter personal information into a malicious website.

“It’s unsettling to hear of our customers being misled in this way and we encourage customers to double check the account number on all utility bills with their existing information to ensure they’re authentic,” he said in a statement.

“These emails are becoming more realistic and are being sent from legitimate email addresses customers may recognise.”

He said that if customers are unsure about an email they’ve received they can log into the my account portal on Telstra’s website and check to see if the information, such as the account number, matches.

“Another common hoax is where an email contains embedded links directing customers to a phishing website to gather personal details,” Kane said.

He added that if customers suspect they have received a hoax email they should delete it straight away.

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